Button-hole cutter



(MOdeL) L. A. CARSON.

,BUTTON HOLE CUTTER.

No. 392,717. Patented Nov. 13, 1888.

"UNITED STATES Parana rrrca.

LUGIUS ALAXANDER CARSON, OF UNIONTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

BUTTON-HOLE CUTTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 392,717, dated November 13, 1888.

Application filed March 24, 1888. Serial No. 269,420. (Modeh) portion punched out, that is of cheap and uncomplicated construction, and at the same time positive and reliable in operation.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement ofthe parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part ofthis specification, and in which like letters indicate corresponding parts, Figure l is a perspective view of a button-hole cutter constructed in accordance with myinvention, and showing the lower jaw provided with a graduated plate and the upper jaw having a knife and a punch. Fig. 2 is aside view of the button-hole cutter, illustrating the knife and the punch and showing in dotted lines the position of the punch when not in use. Fig. 3 is a detail View of the graduated plate. Fig. 4 is a detail view illustrating a modification of my invention.

In the accompanying drawings, A designates a button-hole cutter, pivoted at c and having jaws c and a", the lower one of which is flat and bread on its upper face and is adapted to receive a flat piece of metal, B, while the upper jaw, a, is broad at its side, to which are secured a knife, 0, and a punch, D.

The knife 0, which may be of any suitable form, is secured to one side of the upper jaw, c, by means of a screw, E, and also by means of another screw that passes through an extension, c, of the knife 0 at right angles to the main body. The knife 0 is constructed to present a broad cutting-edge, and extends out a considerable distance beyond the upper jaw, to which it slants. The cutting-edge of the knife 0 is constructed sufficiently large to cut the largest size button-hole, and by means of an adjustable graduated plate, F, just enough of the cnttingedge of the knife may be presented to the cloth to cut the smallest button-hole or one of any intermediate size. On the other side of the jaw a, or the side opposite to which the knife 0 is secured, is pivoted the punch D. The screw E, which forms the principal fastening for the knife 0, passes through the jaw a and forms a pivot for the punch, which when not in use is turned in the position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings, and is then out of the way and does not in any manner interfere with the operation of cutting a plain button-hole.

WVhen it is desired to make a button-hole partly punched, the punch D is brought to the vertical or operative position and there retained during use by a spring, G, secured to the top of the upper jaw, a, by a screw, 9, which permits the spring to be swung laterally to bring it in and out of engagement with the punch D. The spring G- bears against the top of the punch D and securely holds it in its vertical or operative position and. prevents its turning until released from such on gagement.

The adjustable graduated plate F is pivoted to the outer end of the flat piece of metal B, suitably secured to the upper face of the lower jaw, a, and may be circular, as indicated by the dotted lines in 31, or it may be any part of a circle. The adjustable graduated plate F has an opening, f, in it, formed by cutting away a portion in order to expose different amounts of the surface of the adjustable graduated plate F to the action of the knife 0, whereby any size button-hole may be cut by simply turning the adjustable graduated plate to allow more or less of it to be hit by the knife 0, as only that much of the cloth or material will be cut as comes under the biting portion of the knife. The greater the amount of the plate cut away the smaller will be the button-hole, and I gradually diminish the cutting away of the graduated plate and thereby form a constantly-increasing surface, f.

Opposite each variation of the surface 7 of the adjustable graduated plate F is a notch, depression, or the like, f, formed in the periphery of said plate. These notches or depressionsf are adapted to engage with a small pin or projection, 12, located at the inner end of the flat piece of metal B, which is secured to the upper surface of the lower jaw, a whereby the adj ustable graduated plate may be retained in position to expose any amount of its surface to the knife 0. The adjustable graduated notched sector plate F possesses sufficient spring to permit its being lifted up and moved over the top of the pin or projection b to bring another notch or depression in engagement with said pin or projection.

In order to keep the jaws a and a apart to facilitate the operation of the device, a curved flat spring, H, is secured to the inner face of one of the handles and bears against a shoulder, a formed at the crotch of the button hole cutter A.

' Fig. 4 illustrates a modification of my invention, showing the adjustable graduated plate F dovetailed in the upper face of the lower jaw, (o and adapted to slide back and forth. The upper-face of the adjustable graduated plate is cut down, leaving the remaining portion wedge-shaped, whereby when the plateis moved laterally a greater or less amount of its surface is exposed to the action of the knife, and consequently a larger or smaller buttonhole may be cut, as desired.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that a device constructed in accordance with this invention is neat, compact, and comparatively inexpensive, and capable of cutting a plain buttonhole or a button-hole having a portion of it punched out in a positive and reliable manner.

Of course I would have it understood tliatI do not limit myself to the precise details of construction herein shown and described, as minor changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1 1. In a button-hole cutter, the combination of thejaws, a knife and a punch secured to adapted to be turned up out of the way when not,

in use, and an adjustable graduated plate capable of movement to bring different portions of its surface under the knife, substantially as described.

2. In a buttonhole cutter, the combination of the jaws, a punch pivoted to one of the jaws and capable of being turned up out of the way when not in use, a spring secured-to said jaw and adapted to engage the punch and hold it in operative position, and an adjustable graduated plate, substantially as set forth.

3. In a button-hole cutter, the combination of the jaws, the knife secured to one of the jaws, and a sectorplate pivoted to the other jaw and having an opening formed in it near its pivotal point to provide a gradually-in creasing surface between said opening and the periphery of the plate, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. In a button-hole cutter, the combination of the jaws, the knife secured to one of the jaws, and a notched sector-plate pivoted to the other jaw and provided with an opening form- ,ing a gradually-increasing surface between said opening and the periphery of the plate, the notches being adapted to engage a pin or projection of the jaw, and the plate being capable of being raised to disengage a notch from the pin or projection of the jaw and to bring another notch into engagement with said pin or projection, substantially as described.

5. In a button-hole cutter, the combination of the jaws, a knife attached to the upper jaw, a Hat piece of metal secured to the upper face of the lower jaw and extending out in front of the same to increase the size thereof, and having a pin or projection near its inner end, and a notched sector-plate provided with an opening forming a gradually-increasing surface between said opening and its periphery, said plate being capable of being raised to disen gage a notch from the pin or projection of the flat piece of metal or to bring another notch into engagement with said pin or projection, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixcd my signature in pres ence of two witnesses.

LUGIUS ALAXANDER CARSON. I

Witnesses:

G. W. ELLIOTT, S. A. PoUNDsToNE. 

